Agenda Index City of Vancouver

TO:

Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Chief License Inspector, in consultation with Community Planning
and the Director of Community Services - Social Planning

SUBJECT:

Relocation of Casino-Class 1 - 800 Terminal Avenue
and Policy for other Gaming Applications

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On October 7, 1997, Council adopted amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law, DD, ODD and Parking By-laws to permit Casino-Class 1 (without slot machines) in several districts C-3A, FC-1, IC-3, I-2, HA-1 or HA-1A of the Zoning & Development By-law, the Downtown Official Development Plan or CD-1 By-laws 21, 349 and 358. Parking standards and guidelines for application approval were also adopted. The latter restrict the number of casinos in the City to five, limit the size to 1,500 square metres (16,150 sq. ft.) and established a pre-site clearance requirement from the City before a development application is filed.

SUMMARY

This report deals with two separate issues: the application from Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. requesting Council approval to relocate their Casino-Class 1 to 800 Terminal Avenue from B-106, 750 Pacific Boulevard and the procedure for processing Bingo Halls and other gaming facility applications.

Staff supports this relocation of the Casino-Class 1 to 800 Terminal Avenue as this location meets Council guidelines for Casino-Class 1 and the existing zoning permits Casino-Class 1 as a conditional use. The possible combination of a casino and bingo operation in the same facility is new to British Columbia, and will require a more thorough evaluation along with the other proposed conditional uses at the development permit application stage. Staff is therefore recommending a pre-site process for all gaming facilities applications.

PURPOSE

Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. is requesting Council approval to relocate their Casino-Class 1 to 800 Terminal Avenue from B-106, 750 Pacific Boulevard and staff is recommending a process for future gaming facility applications.

BACKGROUND

On March 5, 1998, Council approved the relocation of Royal Diamond Casino-Class 1 from B-106 to Building A, Plaza of Nations, Pacific Boulevard on an interim two years basis. The lease will expire on March 31, 1999.

Two recent separate applications requesting relocation of casinos were considered by Council. One application was supported (the relocation of the existing Royal Diamond Casino within the Plaza of Nations site) while the other application (the Great Canadian Casino proposed relocation to Robson Street) was not supported because of the proximity to residential and entertainment uses and possible negative neighbourhood impacts. Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. has for some time been seeking a permanent location and recently had the opportunity to purchase an entire site (approximately 126,324 sq. ft. in area) with an existing 40,000 sq. ft. building at 800 Terminal Avenue. A 7,000 sq.ft. - 10,000 sq. ft. addition is proposed to the existing building.

The subject premises are located in an I-2 Industrial Lands zoning district. The surrounding area is a mixture of industrial, retail, restaurant, office, public market, residential, park and vacant land uses. The closest residential use is located south of the subject site near the edge of the 2,000 ft. radius of the notification, buffered by railway tracks. There may be concerns raised by the Grandview-Woodlands residents, as Council may recall the neighbourhood’s concerns over the Home Depot development.

Parking in excess of minimum Parking By-law requirements would be provided by way of a surface parking area to the west of the existing two storey building and a new parkade is to be constructed on the east side.

The hours of operation were originally proposed from 12:00 noon to 2:00 a.m. Hours of operation are regulated by the B.C. Lottery Corporation, who recently approved changes to increase the hours of operation by one hour. Casinos may request to stay open until 3:00 a.m., provided there are no municipal regulations prohibiting a later closing time. There are no existing City by-laws or regulations pertaining to hours of operation for casinos.

As part of the redevelopment of this site, the applicant is also interested in establishing an annex of 7,000 sq.ft. to 10,000 sq. ft. as a restaurant and glass blowing art centre. This annex would include a viewing area where the public could watch local and international artisans create works of glass art. The remaining 9000 sq.ft. situated at the front of the existing building may be used as general office space.

The applicant has received a letter from the B.C. Lottery Corporation indicating that it has carried out preliminary discussions and conducted a site visit and is prepared to continue the relocation process once municipal approval is received. Should Council endorse this application, construction and renovations to the existing building and site will proceed, with completion and occupancy planned for some time in 1999.

BINGO HALL PROPOSAL

At this time, the relocation of the Casino-Class 1 is the issue put forward to Council. Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. also want to advise Council that it is to be the parent company of Jackpot Bingo Inc. a charity bingo facility currently operating from leased premises at #201, 877 East Hastings Street. The company has an option to purchase and it may be finalized by the time this report is before Council. The applicant’s plan is to also submit a future application to relocate the bingo operation to 800 Terminal Avenue, thereby combining the casino and bingo uses on one site.

According to B.C. Gaming Commission procedures, municipal input for relocation of a Bingo Hall will only be solicited in writing once the Commission has established that the proposal merits further review. The B.C. Gaming Commission has not received a formal application to relocate Jackpot Bingo from #201, 877 East Hastings to 800 Terminal Avenue at this time. It is possible that the proposal, once initiated, may not receive preliminary approval from the Commission.

The combination of a Bingo Hall and a Casino within the same building is a concept new to Vancouver and may create issues that would not be present if the facilities were housed separately. This combination could result in a destination ‘mini entertainment district’ which may not be consistent with Council approved Policies and Guidelines. These concerns include, but are not limited to, increased traffic, noise, impacts on industrial zone land value, residential use surrounding the site and existing industrial uses.

The need to develop a new policy of treating Bingo Halls and any other gambling facility the same as Casinos is needed as the Province of B.C. is conducting a bingo review and it is quite possible that Bingo Halls may become different entities in the future. In addition the B.C. Lottery Corporation is in the process of enhancing bingo games with more electronic options coming into place and is having such financial success with slot machines that a completely new type of facility may be developed in the future.

The Casino-Class 1 Guidelines provide Council the opportunity to give advice to the Director of Planning when considering a development application for the site. Presently there are no Council guidelines requiring a pre-site clearance for Bingo Halls, which are normally processed through the development permit process.

Staff is requesting Council’s guidance on how to treat bingo halls or other similar applications. We recommend that they be treated similar to Casino-Class 1 and that a pre-site clearance be required. It should be noted there is no current definition of bingo hall and, therefore, this type of application would be considered similar to a Hall use. As Hall is an outright use in some zones, it is still possible that an application would not go through the pre-site process. In order to address this issue, staff is recommending that the Director of Community Planning be instructed to report back on options for making Bingo Hall subject to a conditional approval process.

COMMENTS

Police Department

From a Police Department perspective Royal Diamond Casino is well run, and staff and management works closely with police to deal with problems whether it is theft from autos, cheating at play, drunks or gang related activities, etc.

The current Jackpot Bingo at 877 East Hasting Street has always been of concern because of its second floor location and the area being heavily frequented by drug users and prostitutes. That, coupled with the player base being older and drawn from the Raymur Housing Project and Strathcona area, caused concern regarding the player being victimized when coming and going from the premises.

The Crime Analysis Unit prepared statistics pertaining to calls for service or criminal offences for the entire length of Terminal Avenue, for the period January 1, 1995 to August 30, 1998. Results show there is minimal impact on policing services along the Terminal Avenue corridor, even with the recent addition of Home Depot in the 900 block. This is an area heavily used by motorists, but has very little pedestrian activity or businesses that would attract an undesirable clientele. A major concern for police would be the increase in traffic and with it the potential for accidents involving people entering and exiting from Terminal Avenue.

The exterior of the premises should be well lit, have ample parking with the lot preferably patrolled by private security to ensure the safety of the customers and vehicles, and exterior security cameras situated to give views of the entire property. With the expected cooperation of Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. most of the other police concerns could be satisfactorily addressed.

Statistics are available for type and frequency of crime in the area for the past three-years and crime rate and calls for service will continue to be monitored. Presently it is not possible to distinguish calls for service or the crime rate in the immediate areas around the five casinos from other uses on the same or adjacent sites. No “bench mark” statistics are available for the period prior to the opening of the casinos at their present locations, but these statistics are now known for the new locations.

The proposal to move the casino to 800 Terminal Avenue has merit and provides the City an excellent opportunity to more accurately monitor the impacts of such a complex on police resources. If approval is received for the relocation of the casino, an analysis of the crime rate and police resources could be conducted, comparing pre and post casino statistics.

Planning Department

The Planning Department has reviewed the application and noted that the site is located in the I-2 Industrial Zoning District. The subject site is currently approved as Wholesale-Class A and Storage Warehouse along with associated ancillary office spaces. Casino-Class 1 is a “conditional” use in the I-2 Zoning District. Any proposal for such a use would require a development permit application and assessment against the Council approved Casino-Class 1 Guidelines and the applicable provisions of the I-2 District Schedule and the Parking By-law.

The site does adhere to the location restrictions contained in the Casino-Class 1 Guidelines. However, any development permit application would also include an assessment of the traffic and parking implication. The approval would also be subject to the appropriate legal requirements to cancel the current approved casino use at the Plaza of Nations, in keeping with Council’s current policy of limiting the number of Casino-Class 1 establishments in the City to no more than five. The Restaurant-Class 1, Hall (designation given to bingo operation) and General Office are also conditional uses in this zoning district and would require a development permit application and a review of appropriateness of such uses at this location.

Casino and Hall are approvable conditional uses in this zoning and Restaurant and Office may be acceptable as accessory uses. However, under the I-2 District Schedule provisions, further clarification of the nature of the proposed Office and Restaurant uses and functions are required to assess whether or not they could be supported in this location. A Manufacturing use such as glass blowing is a listed use in the I-2 District Schedule, although staff awaits further details to determine the exact nature of the proposed use.

Vancouver/Richmond Health Board

The Environmental Health Division of the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board has no objections provided further review is undertaken at the development permit application stage.

Engineering Department

The City Engineer has no objection to the proposed relocation. A right-of-way must be maintained approximately 17 metres from the easterly boundary of the site to accommodate the existing 72 inch storm sewer that extends from the southerly property line to Terminal Avenue. The proposed access and internal traffic circulation will have to be redesigned to provide adequate egress for eastbound traffic. This will require shifting the manufacturing/restaurant building eastwards and relocating the northerly driveway. Parking and loading provisions will have to conform to the Parking By-law.

Social Planning Department

The Social Planning Department does not object to the relocation of the Royal Diamond Casino if the size and scope of gaming activity remains the same as that at the existing facility. The new location in an industrial zone does not appear to have negative impacts in the immediate neighbourhood. The nearest residential buildings are a distance away and buffered by the adjacent railway.

Social Planning may have questions about the merits of a casino/bingo hall combination. The two facilities together may attract a larger number of players, particularly impacting those with problem gambling behaviour. Literature on addiction indicates that there is a direct relationship between availability and increased addiction

Bingo halls are still the domains of charities, and one coalition of charities operates the Planet Bingo (Starship Bingo) at Main and 10th Avenue. If the B.C. Gaming Commission initiates a formal review on the merits of the relocating Jackpot Bingo to Terminal Avenue, an analysis may be required to establish whether this could impact on the viability of the Planet Bingo Hall.

Housing Centre

The Housing Centre has no comment.

CONCLUSION

Staff supports the relocation of the Casino-Class 1 operated by Royal Diamond Leisure Group Inc. to 800 Terminal Avenue. Staff also acknowledges that the potential relocation of the Jackpot Bingo operation from East Hastings Street has merits, but there are concerns related to the cumulative impacts of a number of these conditional uses on the same site within an industrial zone. Therefore, staff is recommending that the Council Policy requiring pre-site clearance for Casino be amended to include Bingo Halls and any other gaming facilities.

The results of the neighbourhood notification process will be provided to Council at the meeting.

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